AB0831 The quality of life in patients with ankylosing spondylitis evaluated under SF-36 questionnaire, its connection with the disorder of bone mineral density
Authors: O. Pavliuk, S. Shevchuk, O. Zviahina, T. Smaha
Journal: Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases (2022)

Background In recent time, the peculiarities of the quality of life in patients with many chronic diseases, which progress unaffectedly and lead to the restriction of all components of normal life, are being actively studied. Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is no exception, it is the second most common inflammatory rheumatic disease, characterized by predominant lesions of the spine and sacroiliac joints. Rapid progression of the disease, constant pain in the joints, as well as in the periarticular tissues and muscles lead to significant functional limitations, gradual loss of mobility of the spine and deterioration of the quality of life. However, impaired quality of life can be caused not only by the manifestations of the underlying disease, but also by the presence of complications observed in the early stages of the disease. Thus, it is the decrease in bone mineral density and the development of osteoporosis that cause pathological fractures and, as a result, lead to early disability, reduced duration and quality of life. However, clear data on the peculiarities of the quality of life in patients with AS suffering from impaired bone mineral density have not been found to date. Objectives To investigate quality of life indicators using the SF-36 questionnaire in men with AS and to assess their relationship with the structural and functional state of bone tissue. Methods 105 patients with AS aged 40,7 ± 0,8 years were examined, the average duration of the disease was 8,7 ± 0,5 years. The control group included 25 healthy individuals of appropriate age and sex. All patients were diagnosed with AS according to ASAS criteria (2009). The SF-36 questionnaire was used to characterize the quality of life. Bone mineral density was measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry on a Hologic Discovery Wi apparatus (S/N 87227). Results The analysis of quality of life according to the SF-36 questionnaire showed that patients with AS had significantly lower indicators of both physical (37,3 ± 1,5 points) and mental (44,2 ± 1,7 points) components of health in comparison with the control group (99,1 ± 0,3; 97,4 ± 0,7 points, respectively). Among the subscales that form the total physical component, the lowest indicators were recorded in role physical functioning (RP) (14,0 ± 3,1 vs. 99,0 ± 0,6 points) and pain (P) (37,2 ± 1,6 vs. 100,0 ± 0,0 points). And according to the subscales assessing the mental component of health, the most significant differences were found for the indicator of role emotional functioning (RE), which was 4,5 times lower than in the control group (22,2 ± 3,9 vs. 98,2 ± 0,7 points respectively). The study did not reveal significant differences in quality of life in case of low bone mineral density (BMD). The average levels of total physical and mental components of health in patients with BMD (35,2 ± 2,4; 42,2 ± 3,2 points) were only 12,2 – 7,1% lower than in patients with preserved BMD (40,8 ± 2,7; 46,4 ± 2,8 points, respectively). In the group of patients with osteoporosis (Z-score -2,7 ± 0,1) there was a tendency to reduce the physical component due to the indicator of general health (GH), which was significantly lower (35,8 ± 2,1 points) than in patients with preserved BMD (43,4 ± 2,7 points). Conclusion In men with AS, there is a significant decrease in the total physical and mental components of health according to the SF-36 questionnaire which do not have a clear relationship with structural and functional state of bone tissue. Disclosure of Interests None declared